Bill on erectile dysfunction: Sen. Turner's ED bill is sad and absurd: letter to the editor

State Sen. Nina Turner's sarcastic introduction of a bill to restrict men's access to erectile dysfunction drugs in retaliation for the GOP lawmakers' anti-abortion bills (Plain Dealer, Thursday) is an absurd distortion of the abortion question into a silly his-body/her-body comparison. She assumes it is only men who are against abortion, while many women are as well, holding that abortion runs counter to true feminist ideals. Women are no longer their husbands' property, are they? Similarly, it is hypocritically unjust to consider women as "owners" of their children, to dispose of them as they see fit.

Apparently, Turner believes abortion is necessary for women's equal and free participation in society. Her sad joke about erectile dysfunction drugs serves only to belittle her argument. True reform that would advance women's legitimate goals would remove the oppression that forces women to alter their biology to match men's in order to be equal, to sacrifice their children lest they lose out on their dreams for education and careers. All the injustices that lead a woman to consider abortion must be corrected. The sooner we realize that, the better off women will be.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.